After Sales Service Manager

After Sales Service Manager

Under the direction of the North America After Sales Director and in concert with corporate and department goals, the After Sales Service Manager will lead our Technical Service Call Center. This role is responsible for overseeing a team of Technical Service Advisors who provide advanced troubleshooting, and diagnostics to our North American dealer, rental, and key accounts networks. The ideal candidate is a customer-focused individual with a blend of deep heavy machinery (high-capacity mobile and telescopic telehandlers, aerial work platforms, forklifts) expertise and proven call center leadership, ensuring machine downtime is minimized and customer satisfaction remains high.

Call Center Leadership & Customer Experience

• Manage the daily operations of the technical support helpdesk, ensuring adequate staffing, balanced ticket routing, and adherence to Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Coach advisors on methodical, logic-based troubleshooting (e.g., proper use of schematics and diagnostic trees) to shift the team's behavior away from "parts swapping" and toward precise root-cause identification.
• Develop and implement targeted soft-skills coaching for Technical Service Advisors, focusing on active listening, empathy, and professional de-escalation techniques for high-stress breakdown situations.
• Conduct regular call shadowing and provide constructive, real-time feedback to help advisors translate complex technical jargon into clear, customer-friendly language.
• Foster a deeply customer-centric culture within the department, providing the team with communication frameworks to handle difficult conversations (e.g., warranty denials, severe parts backorders) with confidence and tact.
• Lead, mentor, and evaluate the team through consistent one-on-one coaching sessions, performance reviews, and robust call quality audits.
• Coordinate escalations for "Machine Down" situations, ensuring the fastest possible resolution by partnering with the Parts Manager and Area Service Managers to deploy field service technicians or expedite parts.

Technical Strategy & Support

• Implement a rigorous review process for complex diagnostics and high-dollar parts recommendations to eliminate redundant part replacements and significantly reduce unnecessary warranty expenditures.
• Track and improve the "First-Time Fix Rate" by ensuring advisors accurately diagnose the failure before authorizing repairs.
• Serve as the final escalation point for the most severe technical failures and critical customer relationship issues, utilizing expert knowledge to resolve complex diagnostics for internal and external customers via phone, email, the Manitou Assist Portal, and/or on-site at the machine location.
• Standardize troubleshooting workflows and implement best practices for ticketing documentation and quality control.
• Understand and advise on the process of warranty claims based on Manitou Warranty Policy.
• Partner closely with the Engineering and Product Development teams, establishing a feedback loop to report recurring product failures, software bugs, and reliability trends.
• Initiate and manage modifications to service documents (operator's and parts manuals, flat rate schedules, instructional bulletins, and warranty policies) to drive measurable improvements for both the company and the customer.
• Coordinate communication between the customer and dealer to provide the most effective service solutions, safeguarding current and future customer satisfaction.
• Partner with key accounts to rebuild trust after equipment failures, actively representing Manitou's commitment to service during high-stakes dealer and customer visits.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business Management, or a related field (equivalent hands-on technical management experience may be considered in lieu of a degree)
• Minimum 5+ years of experience in material handling machinery service or aftermarket support, with at least 3+ years directly managing a team.

Technical & Professional Expertise

• Deep understanding of material handling equipment schematics, diesel engines, hydraulic systems, and modern telematics platforms.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office software or equivalent. Able to use diagnostic tools (connect tools, extract & interpret results)
• Able to comfortably use digital diagnostic tools to connect, extract, and interpret machine data.
• Demonstrated positive interpersonal skills which promote teamwork and customer satisfaction.
• Excellent conflict resolution…